Blimey. It’s been a while since I wrote a TV roundup. Partly because I kept forgetting and partly because there’s not been a whole lot on the box. Summer is always a slow time on TV, mainly because you’re meant to be out enjoying the sunshine. But I’ve still found a few gems over the last few months.
TV
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| I completely missed this when it was on (a drawback of watching TV online), but thank goodness for iPlayer! I’m not a massive Sarah Lancashire fan, but she is brilliant in this. The storyline is quite gritty and Lancashire makes for a flawed heroine at times, but it’s well worth a watch if dark dramas are your thing, like they are mine. | Ah, Utopia. My OH suggested I watch series one in advance of series two airing on Channel 4. And I’m really glad he did. It’s an epic show, which covers a very unusual topic. It’s refreshing to watch another great British Drama, something that this summer hasn’t been lacking. Yay! |
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| When I saw this advertised, I knew it would be a great series to watch. I was right. Maggie Gyllenhaal is brilliant, dealing with an always very difficult and very poignant topic of Israel/Palestine. Just when you think you know what’s going to happen, there’s a twist and everything is up in the air. If you haven’t been watching – get it on iPlayer. | In every TV viewing, some light relief must fall. I was a huge fan of Seinfeld so thought I’d give Veep a go. I wasn’t disappointed. Julia Louis-Dreyfus is hilarious in this. It’s very Arrested Development in my view, which is another great comedy. I’ve only seen the first series, but I can’t wait to watch the second and third. Fab viewing. |
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| I know I’ve mentioned the Good Wife before, but I’ve been rewatching it with my OH from the very beginning. I’d forgotten how great it was. It’s one of the best dramas on TV right now. I pretty much love every character, though Eli Gold is my favourite because he just shouts at people. (I love a good shout!) If you’ve not watched it, it’s worth signing up to Netflix for. | This was recommended on Twitter and I’ve been aware of it for a while but not watched it until recently. It’s bloody brilliant! Again, it feels a bit like Arrested Development and I can’t decide who my favourite character is, Ron Swanson or Ted Haverford. It makes me laugh out loud and want a job in the Parks & Recreation department. Watch it! |
Film
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| I love Joaquin Phoenix. I think he’s a great actor. He can play such a wide range of characters. Her is no exception. It’s a brilliantly imaginative film, sadly a rarity in Hollywood these days. Her shows a very scary reality of what our future could be like, should Apple ever really get Siri to work properly. I kind of hope they don’t! | Matthew McConaughey can do no wrong at the moment. Everything he touches turns to gold and Dallas Buyers Club is no exception. This is a really moving, scary and insightful look at the Aids epidemic when it first began and the lack of understanding/medicines available. It’s well worth a watch if you haven’t already. There’s no surprise that it did well at the Oscars – well deserved if you ask me. |
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| I saw a load of fuss about this on Twitter, but didn’t really pay it much attention. Then, when we had a dog free day, we decided to go and watch it in the cinema. I love a good comic book film, so was quite content. But it was much better than I thought it would be and I totally understood the hype after watching it. It’s got a much fresher feel than a lot of the other Marvel films & Chris Pratt is great in it. Roll on the sequel. | I remember watching the trailer for this a while back and not really getting it. When we decided to watch it on the weekend, we decided that it’s kind of like the Hunger Games (though not as good) and while it does have that post-apocalyptic vibe and a strong female lead, it’s still really good. Like the Hunger Games, it’s Divergent is part of a trilogy and I can’t wait for the next installment. |
If you have any recommendations of what to watch, I’d love to know. I realise it’s not long until lots of great TV starts again in the autumn (The Walking Dead, I’m looking at you), but there’s got to be a few gems I’ve missed!
